Apparatus for manufacturing cheese product

ABSTRACT

In apparatus for manufacturing an elongated cheese product, the extrusion of a heated mass of cheese is followed by a subsequent pulling or tensing of the extruded strand which develops a fibrous texture in the product and reduces the size of the strand. The pulling is carried out on a continuous basis by a tension applying device, downstream of the extruder, which may comprise a pair of drums around which the cheese strand is wrapped. The strand then passes down a cooling vat under tension from a second tension applying device which retains the properties of the strand as it cools. The second tension applying means may include pairs of driven rollers through which the cheese strand passes. After the pulling and cooling, the strand is cut in lengths suitable for packaging.

This application is a division, of application Ser. No. 048,525, filedJune 13, 1979, now. U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,465 Sept. 8, 1981.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing a cheeseproduct. The cheese product is typically elongated in form, featuring alongitudinal fibrous texture which permits the product to be eaten bypulling off strips. While a variety of cheeses may be used, Italian typecheeses have been found useful in making the product because of theirnaturally stringy properties.

In the past, the manufacture of this type of product has generally beenattempted by hand. A loaf of cheese was kneaded into a ribbon. Shortlengths of the cheese were then pulled by hand or placed on a taffypuffer. While this did provide such a product, these processes were notfeasible from a commercial standpoint because of slowness, breakage ofthe cheese on the taffy puller, and for other reasons.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide ahighly efficient and effective apparatus for producing a fibrous texturecheese product of uniform and highly satisfactory quality.

In the apparatus of the present invention, a heated mass of cheese isextruded on a continuous basis. This is followed by a subsequent pullingor tensing of the extruded strand which is also carried out on acontinuous basis. The cheese is cooled while it remains under tension,thereby to retain the fibrous properties and sizing produced by pullingthe cheese strand.

To this end, a strand of cheese is extruded by an extruder. Thecontinuously extruded strand is thereafter subjected to longitudinaltension, as by wrapping the strand around a pair of rotating drums. Thepulling produced by the drums induces the fibrous texture in the strandand reduces its size by elongation. The cheese is cooled in conjunctionwith or after the elongation as by passing it down a water filled pipe.

The tension applied to the strand is maintained, while the cheese isfurther cooled in a vat by additional tension applying means which maycomprise a plurality of driven rollers which grip the cheese strandbetween them. The strand of cheese so pulled and cooled is severed intoconsumer portions and packaged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cheese product manufactured by theapparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus of the present invention.For clarity, the Figure is somewhat schematic in form.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the extruder incorporated in the apparatus ofthe present invention showing additional details thereof.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tension applying means forming part ofthe apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a tension maintaining means forming partof the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cooling water vat used inthe apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a cheese product 2 manufactured by the apparatus of thepresent invention. Cheese product 2 is typically elongated in formhaving a diameter of approximately 5/8 to 2/3ths inches. The product ischaracterized by a longitudinal fibrous texture property that permitsportions 4 along the edge to be peeled off the central portion, as shownin FIG. 1. The stripping of portion 4 reveals the cheese fibers 6.

FIG. 2 shows apparatus 10 for making cheese product 2. Apparatus 10includes extruder 12. Extruder 12 has bin 14 for receiving cheese asshown in FIG. 3. Typically, the manufacturing of the cheese to beprocessed by apparatus 10 will have proceeded to a point short of thatat which it would otherwise be packaged. For example, in the case ofItalian type cheeses, the cooking of the cheese, which converts thecurds to a homogeneous plastic mass will be complete. The cheese placedin bin 14 is thus a viscous mass having a temperature of approximately150° F.

Bin 14 contains auger 16 or other means for feeding the cheese intoextrusion head 18 so that it may be extruded from nozzle 20. Extruderhead 18 preferably includes hot water jacket 22 for maintaining thetemperature of the cheese so that the cheese emerges from extrusionnozzle 20 at a temperature slightly lower than 150° F., for exampleabout 145° F. As will be noted in FIG. 2, extruder 14 is typicallyelevated with respect to the other portions of apparatus 10 on stand 23.

The strand of cheese 24 emerging from extrusion nozzle 20 passes onto aseries of rollers 26a, 26b, and 26c for conveying the cheese strand toother portions of apparatus 10. To maintain the desired consistency andother properties of the cheese strand 24, a steam hood 28 is mountedover the rollers to play steam vapor or hot water supplied by conduits30 and 32, onto the extruded strand as it passes over the rollers.

Strand 24 then passes into pipe 34. Pipe 34 contains a coolant suppliedby conduits 36 and 38. The coolant is preferably a brine solution whichboth cools and commences the brining of the cheese necessary to obtainthe desired flavor. The brine absorption is higher in the hot cheeseemerging from extruder 12 and hood 28 than in the cheese after it hasfurther cooled. The coolant also facilitates passage of strand 24through the pipe. Additional cooling of strand 24 occurs in vat 40containing brine 42.

Apparatus 10 includes means 44 for applying tension to extruded cheesestrand 24. Tension applying means 44 includes a pair of drums 46 and 48positioned in tandem, or one behind the other, in the path of extrudedcheese strand 24. See FIGS. 2 and 4. Drums 46 and 48 contain one or moretrough-like guides 50 on the periphery for receiving cheese strand 24.With the drums oriented as shown in FIG. 2, drum 46, or the rearwarddrum in the direction of extrusion, is rotated in a clockwise directionand forward drum 48 is rotated counterclockwise. For this purpose, drum46 is mounted on shaft 52 and drum 48 is mounted on shaft 54. Shafts 52and 54 may be journalled in bearings 56 on vat 40.

The drive 58 for drums 46 and 48 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 4.While a variety of variable speed drives may be used, drive 58 is shownas utilizing a d.c. motor 60. The output shaft of d.c. motor 60 isconnected to pulley 62, which in turn is connected to pulley 64 on shaft52 to drive drum 46 through belt 66. Pulley 68 is mounted on shaft 52with pulley 64 and is connected through crossed belt 70 to pulley 72mounted on shaft 54 of drum 48. Motor 60 may be energized by adjustablepower supply 74 to control the speed of drums 46 and 48.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 2, cheese strand 24, as it emerges frompipe 34, is received in guide 50 at the top of drum 46. It proceedsaround drum 46 in the direction of its rotation, emerging from the otherside of drum 46 and is received in guide 50 of drum 48. From there itproceeds around drum 48 in the direction of its rotation and isdischarged off the bottom of drum 48 to proceed along vat 40. As shownin FIGS. 2 and 4, brine 42 in vat 40 is preferably established at alevel such that the lower portion of drums 46 and 48 are immersed in thewater. A spring-loaded idler roll 76, shown in FIG. 4 is provided nearthe point at which cheese strand 24 is discharged from drum 48 to directthe cheese strand down vat 40.

With the strand 24 of cheese wrapped around drums 46 and 48, powersupply 74 is adjusted so that the peripheral speed of drum 46 and 48 isgreater than the speed of cheese strand 24 from extrusion nozzle 20.This exerts a tensile or pulling force on strand 24 which both inducesthe fibrous texture properties in the strand and reduces its size byelongation. Because the cheese is hot, most fiber production andelongation occurs in the region of steam hood 28 and coolant pipe 34,for example as strand 24 exits the steam hood and before it issignificantly cooled in pipe 34. Some additional elongation may occurbefore and intermediate the drums.

As cheese is a natural product, the amount of tensile force required toproduce the desired texture and size properties will vary withdifferences in the chemical composition of the milk used to make thecheese, the cheese manufacturing process and the temperature of thecheese. The degree of fibrous texture which can be produced isdetermined by the cheese itself. Enough tension is thus applied tomaximize fibrous texture production in the particular cheese formingstrand 24. If this tension is not sufficient to reduce the size ofstrand 24 to that necessary for consumer packaging, additional tensionis applied for size reduction purposes. Thus, in actual production,tension is often established responsive to an inspection of theresulting product. The tension applied to cheese strand 24 willtypically range between 20 and 40 pounds. Tension of the appropriatemagnitude may reduce the diameter of an extruded cheese strand of 11/2-2inches down to about 5/8 to 7/8 inches as it is discharged from drum 48.If desired, the size of the cheese strand 24 discharged from drum 48 maybe measured, as by sensor 77 and used to control the tension applied bydrums 46 and 48. The cooling provided by the brine in pipe 34 and vat40, as well as exposure to the air, reduces the temperature of cheesestrand 24 to about 95° F. at discharge from the drums.

Apparatus 10 includes a second means 80 for maintaining the tension oncheese strand 24 downstream of drums 46 and 48. Tension applying means80 may also be mounted on vat 40. As shown most clearly in FIG. 5, means80 includes a frame 82 on which are mounted a plurality of pairs ofopposing rollers 84a and 84b, 86a and 86b, and 88a and 88b. Rollers 84b,84b, and 88b are driven by an adjustable drive means 90 which may besimilar to drive 74. Opposing rollers 84a, 86a, and 88a arespring-loaded and bear on rollers 84b, 86b and 88c. The rollers gripcheese strand 24 passing through the rollers and may be roughened forthis purpose. The speed of drive 90 and rollers 84, 86, and 88 isadjusted so that the tension on cheese strand is continued after itleaves drum 48. It will be appreciated that other means, such as opposedmoving belts may be used instead of rollers.

The tension applied to the strand by means 80 may be the same as thatapplied by means 44 but is usually less. Its purpose is to maintain thetexture and size properties of strand 24 until it has cooled to thepoint where these properties become locked in. Because partially cooledcheese is elastic, strand 24 might resile from its stretched conditionif the tension was not maintained, resulting in loss of desired textureand size properties. The additional tension also contributes to finerfiber development in strand 24.

The spacing of tension applying means 44 from extruder 12 and fromtension applying means 80 is established in accordance with theproperties and temperature of the cheese, the desired size of the cheeseproduct 2, and other factors.

Means 80 may also include a device for cutting strand 24 into lengthssuitable for packaging. For this purpose limit switch 92 is mounted soas to be struck by the strand 24 of cheese after it passes throughrollers 88a and 88b. Limit switch 92 is connected to a solenoid 94 whichoperates cut-off knife 96 and to solenoid 98 which rocks tray 100between a first position in which holder 102 receives the strand ofcheese before and during cutting and a second position in which holder104 receives cheese and holder 102 tips the previously cut cheese intovat 40. In the next cycle, holder 100 is rocked back in the otherdirection.

Brine 42 circulating in vat 40 cools strand 24 and the pieces 106 cuttherefrom and continues the brining of the cheese. Brine 42 carriespieces 106 in the serpentine path shown in FIG. 6 to a packagingapparatus, not shown, which packages the pieces for commercialdistribution. Injector 108 in extruder 12 may be used to inject a brinesolution in the cheese as it is extruded to reduce brining times in vat40.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as beingwithin the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out anddistinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as theinvention.

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for manufacturing a cheese product having alongitudinal fibrous property comprising:an extruder for extruding acontinuous strand of cheese with a horizontal movement component along apath; cooling means downstream of said extruder in said path forreceiving the strand from said extruder for cooling the strand toestablish structural integrity in the strand; means for applyinglongitudinal tension to the strand after it leaves said cooling means toinduce a longitudinal fibrous property into the strand, said tensionapplying means comprising a pair of rotating drums arranged in ahorizontal plane in tandem in the direction of the cheese extrusion pathto provide a forward drum and a rearward drum, said tension applyingmeans further including drive means for rotating said drums in oppositerotary directions so that the upper portion of the rearward drumpresents a surface moving in the same direction as the horizontalmovement component of the strand and the upper portion of the forwarddrum presents a surface moving in the opposite direction, said drumsforming a serpentine path for the strand in which the cheese strandproceeds initially around said rearward drum and thereafter around saidforward drum; a vat containing a cooling fluid for cooling the strand,said drums of said tension applying means being at least partiallyimmersed in the cooling fluid for delivering the strand to the coolingfluid; and tension maintaining means for said strand, said tensionmaintaining means being so positioned with respect to said tensionapplying means and said fluid containing vat as to maintain tension onthe strand in the vat.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 furtherincluding cutter means for severing the strand into predeterminedlengths.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1 including means fordetermining the rotational speed of said drums and the amount of fibroustexture property producing tension applied to cheese strand inaccordance with the size magnitude of the product after subjection tothe tension.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1 including conveyormeans for conveying the extruded cheese strand to said tension applyingmeans.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1 including means for heatingthe cheese strand as it emerges from the extruder.
 6. The apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein said extruder includes means for injectingbrine into the cheese.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1 whereinsaid tension maintaining means includes opposed, moving cheese engagingmeans that grip the cheese strand between them.
 8. The apparatusaccording to claim 7 wherein said cheese engaging means comprise opposedrollers.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said coolingmeans comprises a coolant containing pipe through which the cheesestrand passes.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein saidcoolant containing pipe contains a brine liquid.